Apparatus for concentration reaction of carbon dioxide using magnesium ions in seawater, and method for sequestrating carbon dioxide in ocean using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9688558-B2
Application number	US-201214412636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2012
Priority date	Jul 13, 2012
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A method for sequestrating carbon dioxide in the ocean of the present invention coverts carbon dioxide into a high concentration of bicarbonate ions by using a neutralization method using calcium oxide commonly contained in alkaline industrial waste, prepares elution water for stably containing bicarbonate ions even when making contact with the atmosphere through aeration, and discharges the elution water into an area of the ocean of a relatively shallow depth to sequestrate carbon dioxide. According to the present invention, the present invention is a carbon dioxide storage method which uses alkaline industrial waste to carry out carbon dioxide ocean sequestration at relatively low cost, and can sequestrate carbon dioxide for a long time while minimizing bad environmental influences such as ocean acidification and the like, and is thus environmentally friendly. Therefore, it is possible to actively respond to carbon dioxide emission restrictions and simultaneously achieve economical efficiency by securing certified emission reductions henceforth.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A carbon dioxide concentration reactor using magnesium ions in seawater, wherein calcium oxide (CaO) or alkaline waste containing calcium oxide is injected into the seawater to allow the calcium oxide to react with magnesium ions present in the seawater to form magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH) 2 ) for precipitation, after the precipitation of magnesium hydroxide, a supernatant of the seawater is removed and a lower layer liquid of the seawater containing the magnesium hydroxide and carbon dioxide are allowed to react with each other to convert carbon dioxide into concentrated seawater containing bicarbonate ions (HCO 3 − ) having a higher concentration than in a natural state,
wherein the concentration reactor comprises:
an alkaline waste supply unit supplying the calcium oxide or alkaline waste containing calcium oxide;
a seawater inflow unit for feeding the seawater;
a multi-stage reactor system supplied with the calcium oxide and seawater and allowing the calcium oxide and seawater to react with each other;
a precipitation tank installed at an end of the multi-stage reactor system and precipitating magnesium hydroxide generated from the calcium oxide and the seawater;
a seawater outflow unit installed at a top end of the precipitation tank and allowing the seawater remaining after reacting with the calcium oxide to be discharged;
a gas inflow unit installed at a bottom end of the precipitation tank, supplying the precipitation tank with carbon dioxide and air and allowing the carbon dioxide and magnesium hydroxide to react with each other to form bicarbonate ions; and
a concentrated seawater outflow unit installed in the precipitation tank and discharging concentrated seawater containing the bicarbonate ions.

2. The carbon dioxide concentration reactor of claim 1 , wherein partition walls are installed at upstream ends of the respective reactors of the multi-stage reactor system and at an upstream end of the precipitation tank, so that the flow of the seawater is introduced to a bottom to then be discharged upwardly.

3. The carbon dioxide concentration reactor of claim 1 , wherein an agitator is installed in each reactor of the multi-stage reactor system to facilitate a reaction between the calcium oxide and the seawater and to allow particles of the magnesium hydroxide to move up to the precipitation tank without being interrupted.

4. The carbon dioxide concentration reactor of claim 1 , wherein the precipitation tank comprises:
a diffuser diffusing and flowing the carbon dioxide into the precipitation tank; and
an agitator facilitating a reaction between the carbon dioxide and precipitated magnesium hydroxide.

5. A carbon dioxide isolation method using magnesium ions in seawater, the carbon dioxide isolation method comprising:
injecting calcium oxide (CaO) or alkaline waste containing calcium oxide into the seawater to allow the calcium oxide to react with magnesium ions present in the seawater to form magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH) 2 ) for precipitation;
after permitting precipitated magnesium hydroxide to settle sufficiently to form a lower layer liquid comprising the precipitated magnesium hydroxide and a supernatant of the seawater, removing the supernatant of the seawater and allowing the lower layer liquid of the seawater containing the magnesium hydroxide and carbon dioxide, which is added to the lower layer liquid, to react with each other to form concentrated seawater containing bicarbonate ions (HCO 3 − ) having a higher concentration than in a natural state;
supplying the concentrated seawater with air to maintain equilibrium of bicarbonate ions in the seawater; and
discharging the concentrated seawater to the ocean, wherein the pH of both the discharged seawater and the ocean seawater into which the discharged seawater is discharged has a pH of between 8.0 and 8.2.

6. The carbon dioxide isolation method of claim 5 , wherein the discharging of the concentrated seawater to the ocean comprises directly discharging the concentrated seawater containing the bicarbonate ions to the ocean through a pipeline.

Assignees

• Lee Jung Hyun
• Choi Jin Hyeok
• Gil Joon Woo
• Korea Electric Power Corp

Inventors

• Lee Jung Hyun
• Choi Jin Hyeok
• Gil Joon Woo

Classifications

• C02F2103/08

  Seawater, e.g. for desalination · CPC title

• B01D2252/1035

  Sea water · CPC title

• C02F2103/12

  from the silicate or ceramic industries, e.g. waste waters from cement or glass factories · CPC title

• B01D2251/402

  of magnesium · CPC title

• C02F2101/10

  Inorganic compounds · CPC title